Flockaveli (Deluxe Version)

Album Review

A member of Gucci Mane’s So Icey camp, Waka Flocka Flame takes Plies’ slow goon drawl, mixes it with the wackiness of his posse boss Gucci, and then adds plenty of guttural utterances (“Waaaaaakaa!,” “Flocka!,” but mostly “Blow!”) for a love-him-or-hate-him style. Fall into the latter camp and his debut album, Flockaveli, is a one-note cash-in that has no business referencing 2Pac with its title. Fall into the former and it’s a satisfying nonstop assault of so-dumb-it’s-fun hip-hop with numerous guest stars to keep things fresh plus those deep Lex Luger beats that threaten to blow the trunk off. With “Hard in da Paint,” “No Hands,” and "O Let's Do It" all on the track list, every one of Flocka’s necessary career-building singles are present, and the support crew consists mostly of likeminded bangers with guys'-night-out appeal, the cred-verifying “G Check” being the best. The one welcome surprise is “For My Dawgs,” a slow creeper that communicates spite and triumph with skill, but this smart wallflower is surrounded by party boys and won’t be enough to sway the haters. Still, Flockaveli has enough hooks and attitude to keep those bottles poppin’ all night long, and whether or not you remember any of it the next day, it does serve its purpose.